Anthony Albanese has secured a historic second term as prime minister in a stunning federal election result that not only delivered Labor a stronger majority but saw Opposition Leader Peter Dutton lose his own seat in a crushing blow to the Coalition.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to congratulate Albanese on his historic win, writing on X:
“Congratulations @AlboMP on your resounding victory and re-election as Prime Minister of Australia! This emphatic mandate indicates the enduring faith of the Australian people in your leadership. I look forward to working together to further deepen the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and advance our shared vision for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.”
By 10pm on Saturday night, the ABC had Labor on 86 seats—well above the threshold for majority government—while the Coalition collapsed to just 39, down 18 from the last election, in what senior Liberal figures were calling a political “bloodbath.”
It marked the first time since John Howard in 2004 that a sitting prime minister has led their party to back-to-back election victories.
“Today, the Australian people have voted for Australian values—for fairness, aspiration, and opportunity for all,” a visibly moved Albanese declared to a jubilant crowd at Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL in Sydney’s inner-west.
“Australians have chosen to face global challenges the Australian way—looking after each other while building for the future.”
In one of the night’s biggest upsets, Dutton lost his marginal Brisbane seat of Dickson to Labor’s Ali France, ending his 24-year political career. France, contesting the seat for a third time, said she had long been told it was “unwinnable” unless Dutton retired.
“They said he was too popular, too powerful… I took all of that in and said yeah, nah—I’m going to give it a good crack anyway.”
Dutton acknowledged the defeat with grace. “We did not do well enough during this campaign—that much is obvious,” he said.
“I accept full responsibility for that. But we will rebuild.”
Despite the decimation, Dutton said he called Albanese to concede and told him his late mother would be proud of her son’s achievement.
Albanese, who choked back tears as he took the stage, described his re-election as “the greatest honour of my life.” He paid an emotional tribute to his fiancée, Jodie Haydon:
“You make me so happy. You have my heart, I love you, and I look forward to living our lives together.”
As Albanese wrapped his nearly 30-minute address, he returned to the core themes of unity and respect, silencing boos from the crowd when he mentioned Dutton.
“No. What we do in Australia is we treat people with respect,” he said.
“I thank Peter for his generous words, and I want to wish him and his family all the best for their future.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong took to the stage earlier in the night, greeted by chants of “Penny, Penny, Penny” from the crowd.
“Thank you for believing in Labor,” she said.
“We will write this next chapter so all Australians are part of our nation’s story.”
The election result delivered a sweep of gains for Labor across the nation—including in key battleground states such as Queensland, where the party picked up seats in Bonner, Leichhardt, Petrie, and Forde. In Victoria, the feared backlash failed to materialise, with Labor on track to win Menzies and Deakin. The Liberals were wiped out in Tasmania, losing both Braddon and Bass, and also surrendered the prized South Australian seat of Sturt. Meanwhile, early indications showed Labor gaining ground in Western Australia.
Liberal heavyweights Michael Sukkar, David Coleman, and outspoken moderate Bridget Archer were among the casualties. Across Sydney and Melbourne, the “Teal” independents comfortably held their ground, brushing aside Liberal attempts to reclaim their once-safe blue-ribbon seats. The Greens, meanwhile, were facing a potential setback, with leader Adam Bandt in a tight race to retain his Melbourne seat.
With 14 seats still in doubt late into the night, Labor appeared to be headed for a commanding majority—more than double the Coalition’s projected seat count.
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